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Christmas time is full of traditions, that are often quiet and festive reflecting strong family values such as harmony and love. The Catalan habit of Caga tió is a tiny bit different. Sure, it brings family together and ends with presents and even more certainly it creates a lot of joy especially for children. As … Continue reading →

Sant Joan de les Abadesses is one of many wonderful, small and less known places to visit in Catalonia. It is situated about 120km north of Barcelona, near the French border in the Ripollès county. Although the town is located in the valley the river Ter, it lies 775m above sea level. This very river … Continue reading →

Similar to all other big Football nations in Europe, in Spain the cup is considered less important than the championship. Nevertheless, winning the cup surely is something special, as members of the Royal Family (usually the king) present the cup to the winners. That seems to have an additional motivational effect on players from regions … Continue reading →

Masia is a common Catalan word meaning country house or farm. For many of Football´s greatest however, this word has a very special meaning, as the first things that come to their minds when they hear it, are their teenage years and how they learned to play tiqui taca. La Masia de Can Planes (mostly … Continue reading →

Two things Catalans are very proud of (and justifiably so!) are their food and their traditions. A Calçotada unites exactly those two things: Originally used to describe a rural folk celebration in Catalonia in an area around Valls (a town in the province of Tarragona) nowadays it usually refers to the act and gastronomical event … Continue reading →

“L’equip petit” (“The little team”) is the name of a fantastic 10min movie by directors Roger Gómez and Dani Resines and producer Christina Sànchez about a football team of 5 and 6 year old kids in Vilanova i la Geltrú, a city 40km south-west of Barcelona. It won several awards in Spain, Italy, Germany and … Continue reading →

“Obrint Pas”, which translates to “clearing the way” or “breaking through”, is the name of one of the most famous Catalan bands. Their music is a mixture of ska, rock, punk, reggae and Catalan folklore. The band was one of the first ones to use of the traditional Catalan Dolçaina, a conically shaped, double reed … Continue reading →

Though Catalonia is not a sovereign state, it does have its own national anthem. Even more than one, one could argue. “The reapers” was already regarded as national anthem of Catalonia long before the Catalan government made that official in 1931. However, during Franco’s dictatorship, after the Spanish civil war, the song was forbidden and … Continue reading →

“But let me say one thing. I am a Catalan. Today a province of Spain. But what has been Catalonia? Catalonia has been the greatest nation in the world. I tell you, I will tell you why. Catalonia has had the first parliament, much before England. Catalonia had the beginning of the United Nations. All … Continue reading →